Various Artists - Sad About The Times - DOUBLE LP COLOURED

Have you ever felt sad about the times you are living in? You may not always be able to work it out, but you can sprinkle a little sugar on your sadness with songs like these. A follow up collaboration between Mikey Young (Total Control / Eddy Suppression Ring) and Keith Abrahamsson (Head of A&R at Anthology Recordings) to their 2017 compilation Follow The Sun, Sad About the Times, at its core, is a set of North American 70s jammers. With a hint (at times) of West Coast jangle, these tracks traverse the border between the power pop of the times and a late-night coke jam. You can also hear echoes of folk rock, soft rock, and even detect some psychedelic flashbacks. But despite the genre jumping, the atmosphere of Sad About The Times is always dominated by a haunted human voice. These songs come in the wake of the psychedelic sixties; after the high-flying idealism had run its course and singer songwriters were ascendant. After the party, reality kicks in. They all could have been hits. Each with a different flavor, all subtly conveying universal emotions that are hard to describe but easy to feel. Sadness can be life affirming; these songs can open that door. If they couldn't they wouldn't be so enjoyable. "Heaven is boring, hell is where the action is" someone said but if you mix the two together you might come up with some songs like these.

Side A : Sad About The Times - West / Lonely City - Hollins Ferry / N.Y. Survivor - Randy & The Goats / Loaves & Fishes - Willow / Deep Blue Sea - Art Lown / Tomorrow Is Gone - Jode
Side B : Illusion - Norma Tanega / If You Can Want - Perth County Conspiracy / Hotel Room - David Chalmers / Another Lonely Day - Jim Spencer / Absolute Zero - Hoover
Side C : Holy River - Space Opera / Am I Supposed To Let It By Again (Above The Covers) - Roger Rodier / Paula's Song - Emmett Finley / Sing For Me - Sky / The Running Water - The Smubbs
Side D : Here Comes The Sun - Oliver Klaus / Wolf - Antonia Lamb / Lover Now Alone - Kevin Vicalvi / Sails Across The Sea - Boz Metzdorf / Maybe Someday/Maybe Never - Dennis Stoner